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Fair-trade practice gathers support from unions State Labor Religion Coalition is spreading concept that ensures workers will earn living wage By ALAN WECHSLER, Business writer COLONIE -- Visitors to the New York State United Teachers building in Latham earlier this week were greeted in the lobby by what may have looked like a snack bar. But the table of chocolate, coffee and tea in fact represented something less tangible than dessert. The woman behind it -- Maureen Casey of the New York State Labor Religion Coalition -- was selling an idea. The coalition, created 26 years ago, is promoting the concept of fair trade -- a business philosophy that ensures Third World workers earn a living wage for the products they make for Western consumption. And the group hopes to bring this message to classrooms around the state. Its connection with one of New York's most powerful unions may help in that regard. Hence the table earlier at the NYSUT building, which grossed $1,350 in donations (it was a fundraiser) over two days. The coalition is hoping to get the word out, one candy bar at a time. "Fair trade says there are other priorities than profit," said Casey, program coordinator at the coalition. "There's human dignity." Casey will join nine other coalition members and volunteers on a daylong trip today to Equal Exchange, a supplier of fair-trade products based outside Boston. The trip was organized so coalition members could learn more about the company that makes the products the coalition sells. NYSUT has attached a link on its Web site encouraging teachers to buy from Equal Exchange. NYSUT represents 575,000 teachers around the state. United University Professions, which represents 33,000 academic and professional staff in the State University of New York system, also is sending a representative to Equal Exchange. Virginia Berman, organizing director at Equal Exchange, said the company has partnerships with religious groups, but this is the first time organized labor is getting involved. "They really took the initiative," she said. The company, now 20 years old, has annual sales of $24 million and 100 employees. In a world where supermarket profits are often less than 1 percent and competition is fierce, it may seem unlikely that a product with a business model that calls for higher prices will do well. Yet Equal Exchange sales are growing, and both Price Chopper and Hannaford supermarkets sell its products. Under the fair-trade model, farmers are paid a basic minimum for their product. For instance, fair-trade coffee growers earn at least $1.26 per pound of coffee, compared with as little as 80 cents for those who sell to large coffee companies. Casey said that price is less than what it cost to grow the beans. The Labor Religion Coalition was created by NYSUT and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. At the time, its mission was to help those affected by plant closings in the region. Today, its goals are more global. Organizers hope that as teachers and professors learn the fair-trade concept, they will began to discuss it in their classrooms. "College students are hugely fierce about what's right and what's wrong," said coalition Executive Director Brian O'Shaughnessy. "So are children." For instance, thanks to student pressure, some SUNY schools have stopped buying college sweat shirts from Asia in favor of manufacturers that provide better pay and conditions for workers. At Purdue University in Indiana, some students went on a hunger strike over the issue. "We're trying to educate both their conscience and their palate," Casey said. Wechsler can be reached at 454-5469 or by e-mail at awechsler@timesunion.com. Last Updated:12/12/2006 |